1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to alcohol based antifreeze and coolant compositions containing corrosion inhibitors for use primarily in water-circulating systems such as internal combustion engines, heat exchangers, cooling towers, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Antifreeze concentrates containing alcohols such as ethylene glycol are commonly diluted with water to prepare cooling system compositions for internal combustion engines in order to depress the freezing point of water. It is known that the alcohols utilized gradually decompose in the cooling system to produce acidic products which lower the pH of the coolant. It is also known that metallic surfaces in internal combustion engines which are in contact with such coolants become seriously corroded and that the corrosion effects generally become progressively worse as the pH of the coolant decreases. The recent tendency toward the use of aluminum in internal combustion engines, for instance, aluminum cylinder heads, aluminum water pumps and aluminum radiator cores, makes desirable improved, less corrosive antifreeze compositions. It has also been recognized in the art that antifreeze compositions are most desirably single-phase systems which have good shelf stability such that when such concentrates reach the consumer prior to dilution with water to form the coolant composition, such compositions contain the proper proportion of each phase and exhibit no gelation.
Numerous antifreeze compositions are known in the art which contain corrosion inhibitors and inhibitors for preventing decomposition of the alcohol utilized, for instance, ethylene glycol. These corrosion inhibitors and stabilizers for alcohol decomposition include both organic materials and inorganic materials. Illustrative of the organic materials that have been used in antifreeze compositions are guanadine, citrates, coal tar derivatives, petroleum bases, thiocyanates, peptones, phenols, thioureas, tannin, quinoline, morpholine, triethanolamine tartrates, glycol mono-ricinoleate, organic nitrites, mercaptans, sulfonated hydrocarbons, fatty oils, triazoles, mercaptobenzothiazoles, phenothiazine, and piperazine. Illustrative of the inorganic materials that have been used as corrosion inhibitors are sulfates, sulfides, fluorides, hydrogen peroxide, alkali metal chromates, nitrites, phosphates, borates, tungstates, molybdates, carbonates, and silicates.
Silicates, particularly alkali metal silicates and certain silicones and silicate-silicone copolymers, have been suggested for use in antifreeze compositions to retard the corrosion of metal surfaces of internal combustion engines as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,341,469; 3,337,496; 3,312,622; 3,198,820; 3,203,969; 3,248,329; 3,265,623; 3,121,692; and others. While it has been found that compositions containing alkali metal silicates are effective corrosion inhibitors for metals in internal combustion engines, especially aluminum, the use of such metallic silicates in antifreeze compositions is disadvantageous since these antifreeze compositions have poor shelf life and/or use life, that is, a tendency to gel and form precipitates on standing prior to dilution of antifreeze concentrates by the consumer or during use as a coolant. With respect to the water-soluble organo-silicones and water-soluble silicate-silicone coplymers which have been suggested for use in antifreeze compositions, it has been found that it would be desirable in such systems if greater reserve alkalinity could be incorporated into the system thereby reducing the corrosion tendency on long term use as a coolant.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,832,742, there is disclosed an ethylene glycol base coolant for use in automobile radiators containing a corrosion inhibiting composition composed of equal parts of para tertiary butyl benzoic acid and a high molecular weight aliphatic carboxylic acid derived from a petroleum fraction. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,197,774 there is disclosed the use of aromatic nitro-hydroxy compounds wherein the nitro and hydroxy groups are directly attached to the aromatic nucleus or positioned only on a side chain. In Canadian Pat. No. 990,060 there is disclosed ethylene glycol based antifreeze compositions containing alkali metal silicates and alkali metal nitrites as corrosion inhibitors which are buffered at a pH of about 9 to about 10.5. There is no indication in any of these references that hydroxybenzoic acids such as parahydroxy benzoic acid are effective pH buffers and corrosion inhibitors in such systems.